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ICARDA News International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012 Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG Website: www.icarda.org
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Media
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icarda-media@cgiar.org
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Scientists
join hands to
Combat Stem Rust threat to wheat production |
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| Scientists
and researchers from all over the world met at the International Center
for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) to standardize
protocols and strengthen international collaboration to combat Stem
Rust, a devastating wheat disease that is quickly spreading across
the Near East and West Asia region. The two-day "Stem Rust Baseline Survey Workshop on Standardizing Protocols and International Collaboration" was held at ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria on 10 and11 March. The workshop was jointly organized by ICARDA, CIMMYT, FAO and Cornell University, USA under the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative. Some 49 scientists and researchers from national agriculture research systems of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay and Yemen, and various international research institutes attended the workshop. Agriculture scientists are endeavoring to stop the spread of the devastating fungus, which has now been found in Iran. Historically, sporadic epidemics of stem rust, also known as black rust, have plagued wheat production. An outbreak of the disease in North America in the 1950s destroyed up to 40% of the spring wheat crop. Stem rust is once again on the move. In 1999, scientists discovered a new strain of the fungus in Uganda, now known as Ug99 that has defeated the resistance in varieties that were resistant to stem rust in the past. Over the past few years, Ug99 has infected crops in North and East African countries and in early 2006 it was found in Yemen. Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA Director General, inaugurating the workshop underscored the need for a concerted global effort to contain the spread of the devastating stem rust, Ug99. "We all know that Ug99 is capable of causing enormous losses to wheat production and food security in the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley countries, West Asia, North Africa and even worldwide unless it is controlled through deployment of wheat varieties with durable rust resistance, and other means to combat the spread of disease. This effort is beyond the capacity of any one country or any one institution. This certainly needs a global effort," Dr Solh said. The Director General said that the biggest casualty thus far had been in Ethiopia, Kenya and Yemen. "However, the race has now arrived in Iran, a country with 6 million hectares of wheat. The pathogen is certainly moving quicker than originally anticipated. Therefore, surveillance, monitoring and tracking of this new strain is essential for establishing an integrated strategy for control of the disease." Dr Solh said. Dr Solh pointed out that Ug99 was confirmed in Yemen as had been predicted based on the knowledge of earlier movements of Yellow Rust. "We have the conviction that Ug99 will spread beyond Iran faster and may take additional pathways. With the long distance travel of rust spores, it is only a matter of time until Ug99 spreads further into the Near East, the Mediterranean Region including N. Africa and South Europe and possibly Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asian countries, South Asia and East Asia," he cautioned. It is certainly a serious threat to global food security. In October last year scientists and researchers had met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to establish an early warning system to check the spread of stem rust. Based on their deliberations researchers had set up a survey system that would help them identify spread of the fungus. Contact Scientist : Dr Richard Brettell |
About
ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) is one of the 15
international research centers supported by the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA serves the entire
developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean;
and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water,
improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and
goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central
and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for
the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage
legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of
the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
(www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and
regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international
research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable
development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition
and health, and protecting the environment.